Flammable and otherwise hazardous materials play an important role in the everyday lives of most people. Most people encounter flammable materials, such as gasoline, engine oil, diesel fuel, and natural gas, without danger. Because the flammable materials are contained, they typically present no problem for those that are nearby.
Occasionally, the vessels used to contain hazardous material rupture and the hazardous material escapes. For instance, the fuel tank in a military vehicle may rupture when struck by a projectile, causing the fuel or associated vapor to leak out. The uncontained fuel and vapor may pose a host of dangers including combustion of the fuel, toxic fumes, adverse chemical reaction with other substances outside the container.
A variety of systems have been developed to ameliorate the problems associated with uncontained hazardous material. These systems generally include a container of hazard control material such as fire extinguishant positioned in the vicinity of the hazardous material container. The hazard control material is then applied manually or automatically to reduce the danger of the hazardous material. These hazard control systems are generally stand-alone units and/or after-market systems applied to preexisting hazardous material containers.